The investigation into the murder of the family of Russia's last Tsar could be reopened. The current head of the former Royal family, the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, has filed a complaint after the case was closed.

The Basmanny court of Moscow which was due to consider the Romanov familyís complaint on the halt of the investigation into the criminal case of Nicolas IIís murder on Monday, has postponed the hearing till February 18.

In October 2008, Russiaís Supreme Court made a decision to rehabilitate the members of the Romanov royal family. It pointed that the Tsarís family were not victims of a crime, but were murdered by the decision of the state.

Last January, the investigative committee terminated the criminal case on the murder of the family on the grounds that persons who killed the family were already dead.

According to the attorney for the imperial house of Romanov, German Lukyanov, the rulings contradict each other.

"The Russian Federation Supreme Court Presidium has ruled that the Romanovs were murdered on behalf of the state and the Investigation Committee thinks that the members of the Tsarís family were killed by criminals,Ē he told Lenta.ru news source.

ďThere are two incompatible decisions. They contradict each other. There must be a single understanding of the issue,Ē he added.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, who is currently residing in Spain, filed a complaint to the court. She argued that the investigation should continue and demanded her acknowledgement as a party of interest.

The Romanov family and several members of their closest circle were shot dead at night on July 17, 1918, on the decision of the Soviet authorities.